Load indicator for spring vehicles



Jan 6, 1931. T. J. wALsH 1,787,884

LoAD INDICATOR FOR SPRING VEHICLES Filed July l2. 1928 i @1&1- @6 nomas ma) ff mm l@ @www Patented Jan. 6,A 1931 'rHoMAsa WALSH, or'MoUNrvnnNoN, NEW' Yonxfy LoAD INDICATR ron srnine'vEHrcLns Aisplica'cipn ineelaulyy 12, 192s. serial No..292`,1s9.

The present invention relates to ,scales adapted forpermanent attachment to spring vehiclesfor the purpose off'weighing 'the loads supported by the vehicles.

6 Inthe embodiment of theinvention whichr f I am about to specifically describe, I provide four of the .novel weighing'deviceatwo being interposed between each axle of the vehicle and the vehiCleframe. Each scale is 10 provided with a vweighing dial and the sum ofthe weight indications will be the total weight supported onthe springs. viousthat a greater orlesser number of individualdevices maybe provided and thatif' l5 desired, their movements may be integrated` and indicated onv a single conveniently dispsed dial.'4 The-essence of the presentini j vention lies in the combination of elements whereby rectangular movements of the ve- :i "hicle body or' frame toward and away from,v

Athe running gear-are `translated into rotary i of the' spindle.`-A dial 28fis secured to the movements ofv an indicating device. I` shall now proceed to describe a speclii'c embodiment of the invention with referencel i to theaccompanying drawings, wherein v Figure 1 is aI plan view of al motor vehicle running gear and body supporting frame with devices according to the present invention arrangedthereon, ,p y

p Figure 2 is a vertical cross section vof 'one of the devices, :showing the adjacenty portions of the vehicle, and a F'gure 3 is a plan view` of a novel form of .f

40, 10,having a steep spiral thread 1'1,is rotatably c journaled in a casing 12 4which is secured by means of the bracket 13 tothe channel member 14 or a [sill member 15 of `the vehicle frame. A tubular nut 16 is provided with af groove 17 with which thread 11 mates and the lower end of element 16 `is threaded or otherwise liXedly secured'to` a block 18 which-` is in turn rigidly bolted to the spring v19fof the vehicle.- Casing Y 12'V is composed of a V'50 collar 20 into the uppery end of which is 'disc`21'the spindle is provided with threads It is obas-by screw 30.

screwed a disc21 and into the lower end of i ywhich is screwed fa'block22. `The disc and block are provided withncentral vertically 4aligned'apertures having packing grooves 23 and 24 andthe upper end .'ofspindle 10 is Ypassed through these apertures'for rotative l support therein. Ity will be noted that thread 11 is discontinued immediately below f block 22 but that intermediate thelatter and of normal *pitch with Awhich engageA the threads "of circular nut 25'. In assembling the spindle lO'and nut. 25 their threads will preferably be jammed so as to prevent relative rotation of the two. Nut 25 is provided g3 on-its upper and lower faces with annular,

p grooves, and discv 21 and block 22 are similarly grooved to form races for balls 26 and 27. The described elements form whatfmay ,be termed a Vdouble thrust bearingadapted to .o receive both upward and downward thrusts upper faceof disc 21and 1a double pointer 29 is secured to the upper end of the spindle The dial 28l and pointer 29. `liesomewhat belowthe upper edge of collar 20.y Across the upper edgeswof the latter is secured a glass closure element 31by means of aV ring 32. Preferably a grease cup 33 is threaded in collar 20 in communication with sol i .the thrust ybearing chamber.

A tube 34 isengaged inv a threaded seat in the lower Vtace of block 22 coaxially with spin* dle10;anda tube 35 is also threaded onto a circular shoulder 36 on the lower face of block 22 in` ooaxial'relation with tube 34. Av nut,

l36 is threaded on the end of tube 35 and clamps a ring-like portion 37 of bracket 13 between it and collar `2O. Block 18 is vprovided withan annular shoulder 38 onto which 90 4is threaded a` tube 39 inv coaxial relation with spindle 10 and with its upper extremity ex.-

'tending between tubes 34 and 35 in telescop- ,ing relation therewith. Tube 39 is provided near its upper iend withan inner annular l'packing groove 40. Attention may here be called to the fact that tubular nutl has a loose fit with spindle 10 and extends within tube 34 in somewhat spaced relation thereto. Likewise, the upper end 'oi tube 39 is ,spaced mi somewhat from the walls of both tubes 34 and 35. To secure additional rigidity of the upper portion of the device, the lower end ot tube 35 is received in an aperture of a bracket 41 and a nut 42 is screwed on the lower end of tube 35 in abutting relation to bracket 41.

It will be obvious that upon movements of the running gear and frame elements toward and away from each other, spindle 10 and nut 16 will undergo similar movements`,'and that through the medium of the threaded engagelment with the latter, spindle 10 will be rotated and miovement is thus imparted to pointer 29. i y

All of the elements of the device are in permanent operative relation relative to each other `and in order to prevent a dash-pot effect during movement of the vehicle on the road, the telescoping elements have been spaced somewhat from each other, as was pointed out above. As a further preventative of such damping effect, the tubular elements may be appropriately perforated as, for ex-r ample, at 43, Figure 2. The lower elements 16 and 39, however, will not `be perforated,

48 and 49, and are disposed outside of the.

frame members 14 with their upper ends secured to the latter and their lower ends secured to the front axle. 50 and 51 denote the weighing device at the rear end of the vehicle, and an appropriate manner of mounting them has been described with reference to Figure 2. vWhere the movements of the various weighing devices are not integrated as is the case in the installation illustrated, the devices are preferably disposed outside of the body :trame so that their dials will be readily visible. It is apparent that with an integrating system they might be disposed inwardly ot the rlongitudinal frame members, and in fact, in any convenient position.

Since it ,is ,desirable that the indicating dials be 3.of no rgreater diameter than necessary, I have devised a novel dial and pointer particularly adapted for use in connection.

with the main invention. As shown in Figure 3, pointer 29 has a long arm 52 and a short arm 53. The dial 28 is provided -with an inner and outer circle of graduations with which respectively Icooperate the long and short arms of the pointer, vand the graduations .of the inner Circle .are numerical .e011- tinuations oi those of the outer circle. Thus `it may be assumed that a full rotation of the on any one weighing device will not exceed eight hundred pounds (800 lbs). Of course, the size of the dial and the arrangement ofthe circlesof graduations will depend upon the load capacity of the truck to which the devices are to be applied, although primarily, of course, they must be laid out with refer.- ence to the pitch of thread 11.

1t will be understood that the details of the described device may be altered in many particulars without departing -from the spirit of my invention, and accordingly it is to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself lexcept as in the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of a vehicle comprising running gear and frame elements, and spring means interposed between said elements, of a spindle member having a steep pitch spiral thread,.a nut member cooperating with said spindle member,.one of said members being fixed to one of said elements and the other of said niembershaving a thrust bearing support on the other of said elements whereby movements of said elements toward and away from each other cause similar movements of said members with consequent rotation of the bearing supported member, and indicating mechanism actuating in dependence upon the rotative movements of said bearing supported member, said indicating mechanism including a movable portion mounted directly on said bearing supported member.

2. The combination of a vehicle comprising running gear and frame elements and spring means interposed bet-Ween said elements, of a spindle member having a steep pitch spiral thread, a nut member cooperating with said spindle member, one of said members being fixed to one of said elements and the other .of said members having a thrust bearing support on the other of said elements whereby movements of said elements toward and away from each other cause similar ymovements ofsaid members with consequent rotation of the bearing supported member, indicating mechanism actuating in dependence upon the rotative movements of said bearing supported member, and -telescoping tubes surnounding said i with said elements.

y ed with the runninggear element whereby extending through said apertures, a flangev iiXed to the last mentioned member intermediate said walls to preventv axialY displacementv of the member relative to said casing while permitting its relative rotation, thel` other oi said members being fixedly connectrelative movements of said elements toward and away from eachother `cause similar movements of said members with consequent rotation of the rotatable member` and indicating mechanism actuated in dependenceV upon the rotative movements of said rotatable member.

4. The combination with a vehicle compris?,

ing running gear and frame" elements, `and spring means interposed between said elements, of aspindle member having a steep pitch spiral thread, a tubular nut member cooperating with said spindle member, a casp ing secured tov the frame element and having top and bottom walls provided with vertically aligned apertures, one of said members extending through said apertures, a

flange fixed to the last mentioned memberintermediate said walls to prevent axial displacement of the member relative to said casing while permitting its relative rotation,

the otherof said members being iixedly connected with the running gear element whereby relative movementsof saidelements toward and away from each other causesimilar movements of `said members withl consenected with the running gear element wherey by relative `movements of said elements toward and away for each other cause simi-l lar. movements of said members with consei `quent rotation ofthe rotatable member, in-

dicating mechanism actuated :in dependence upon therotative movements of `said rotatable vmember,` and telescoping tubes sur-VA rounding said members and in fixed connecc tion respectively with said elements, one of said tubes being directly fixed tovsaid casing. In testimony whereof I havehereunto set my hand.v y

THOMAS J. WALSH.

quent rotation of the rotatable member, andy indicating mechanism actuated in dependence upon the rotative movements of said rotatable member, said indicating mechanism Y including a movable portion fixed to the end of the rotatable member above said casing.

5. The combination with a vehicle' comprising running gear and frame elements, and spring means interposed between said elements, of a spindle member having a steep pitch spiral thread, a tubular nut member cooperating with said spindle member, Ya casing secured to theframe element and having top and bottom walls provided with verfv tically aligned apertures,`one of said members extending through said apertures, a flange fixed to the last mentioned member intermediate said walls to prevent axial displacement of the member relative to said casermitting its relative rotation, y' the other o said members being xedly c0111 ing while ieo A' 

